But in tonight’s Toast of London, Mad Men star Jon Hamm appears in one scene wearing a mask of Lovejoy actor Ian McShane.

He is found by Steven Toast in his “Hamm hole” – a gap between the bed where he hides from paparazzi – and is wearing the face of McShane.

A random bit of silliness in this madcap comedy? Not a bit of it.

RadioTimes.com can reveal that the use of the actor’s face is a very deliberate in-joke.

McShane had been approached to appear in a role in the comedy – we have been asked by the producers not to say which one in order to spare the blushes of the man who got the part – but it came to nothing.

RadioTimes.com understands that the hullabaloo around his possible casting was legendary inside the production – hence the in-joke nod to the actor.

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A spokeswoman for the show said: “Ian McShane was approached to be in Toast of London series 3. Sadly we couldn’t make it work but we wanted to give a nod to him nonetheless.”